Marion man, 18, sentenced to 25 years for sexual assaults of children

An 18-year-old Marion man was sentenced Friday to 25 years in prison for sexually abusing three different children, a 7-year-old boy over a number of years, as as well a 4-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl in 2013.

Mitchell K. Barta, who was 17 at the time of being charged, was sentenced to 25 years on each of the three counts of second-degree sexual abuse but the judge ran them concurrently for a total of 25 years. There is no mandatory minimum because Barta was a juvenile.

The 7-year-old Cedar Rapids boy was sexually assaulted from January 2008 through Oct. 31, 2013, according to court documents. The 4-year-old boy from Washington County and the 7-year-old girl from Marion were abused in 2013.

Parents of the children in victim's impact statements given last week when the sentencing hearing started told the judge their children were still afraid, having nightmares and having difficulties academically, socially a,nd emotionally, said Anastasia Wilson, victim/witness coordinator with the Linn County Attorney's Office.

The parents also said each of them couldn't trust other people around their children.

'You hurt our son and took his innocence away,” one parent said.

Another said 'he (Barta) has demonstrated a chilling lack of compassion for other human beings…he is a danger to children.”

Wilson pointed out that the three victims or their families didn't know each other.

Assistant Linn County Attorney Nic Scott said Friday following the hearing that the Washington County incident was discovered after the Linn cases came to light. The Washington County case was taken over by Scott because it was easier for Cedar Rapids police to investigate that offense, along with the Linn County cases, and Washington County agreed to the transfer of the case, he said.

According to a criminal complaint, the ongoing sexual abuse of the 7-year-old was discovered when Barta's parents told the victim's parents that their son confessed after they found explicit photos of the abuse on his phone.

Sixth Judicial District Judge Lars Anderson said because of Barta's age at the time of the offenses he considered several mitigating factors in accordance with the U.S. Supreme Court's Miller decision, which banned life sentences for juveniles. Anderson considered Barta's age, home environment, circumstances of youth, the ability to rehabilitate, along with the nature and circumstances of the crime.

Anderson said the crimes were 'horrific,” especially the ongoing abuse of one of the children for five years. However, Barta was a victim himself of sexual, physical, and mental abuse and the experts who testified last week stressed that Barta needed treatment. Barta expressed remorse to the court but until he receives treatment, he may not be able to control himself, the judge said.

Anderson, as part of sentencing, required Barta to complete sex offender treatment while in prison. Barta also will have the special sentence of lifetime parole following any prison time, and will be required to register as a sex offender. There will also be five year no contacts orders against Barta for each of the victims.

Barta will also be responsible for any victim restitution, which will be filed by Scott within 60 days.